Have Enough Money to Retire?

Did you know that over half of all Americans today do not feel that they will have enough money to retire?  In addition, more people than ever feel that they will still be working after the age of 65.


Lack of retirement savings is going to be a serious problem for many Baby Boomers and other retirees.  Read this article, and learn some of the ways that you might be affected.  It's not too late to start taking some steps to improve your situation.

See the full article "Will You Have Enough Money to Retire?" at http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/2011/11/will-you-have-enough-money-to-retire.html

Crafts to do with Your Grandkids



Beaded Felt Star
photo by morguefile.com

 This is just one of the crafts mentioned in this article that you may want to do with your grandkids.  Read the full post for ideas about other simple, yet fun, activities you might enjoy doing with them.   

One of the wonderful things about being a grandparent is the opportunity to share your talents and skills with the younger generation.  I hope this article spurs you to think about all the ways you can pass on your talents to the grandkids.

For more ideas about getting the most out of your retirement years, you may way to follow http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/.

Spurring Job Growth

Care Givers & Medical Careers
photo by morguefile.com

Baby boomers are often blamed for all the demands we have put on the economy as we have grown up and aged.  However, as we retire, we will also be creating many job opportunities for younger generations.

10,000 Baby Boomers are reaching age 65 every day.  As we do, many of us are leaving jobs that we have held for decades.  This creates job openings for younger people.

Read the full article at http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/2011/10/spurring-job-growth.html to learn about the other ways that Baby Boomers are stimulating job growth.

Saving Money for Retirement

Most of Us Need to Save Money
for Retirement
photo by morguefile.com

Are you prepared for retirement?  If you are like most Baby Boomers, you are not nearly as prepared as you should be at this stage in your life.

However, all is not lost.  It is still possible for you to take some steps now that will help you have enough income to survive during your Golden Years.  The sooner you begin, the easier it will be.

Read the full text of this article to get started.  In addition, if you are interested in more information about prepared for retirement, you may want to follow the Baby Boomer Retirement blog at http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/

2012 Social Security Benefit Increase

Photo from Wikipendia.com/commons

Finally, there is a little good news for the millions of Americans who are dependent on Social Security benefits in order to survive.  Beginning in January of 2012, there will be a modest increase in the the amount that you can expect to receive.

Although this will be helpful, there will also be some deductions taken against the increase.  Read the full article to find out the details.

In addition, if you are interested in staying up to date on current events that could affect your retirement planning, you may want to follow http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/.

Holiday Shopping Ideas for Seniors

Fashion Island Shopping Center
Newport Beach, California
photo by public-domain-photos.com

If you are like many baby boomers who are either already living on a fixed income, or who are trying to save for retirement, the holidays can be filled with a lot of additional expenses that can be overwhelming.

How can you get gifts for your family and friends without busting your budget?  This article is full of helpful suggestions for staying within your budget.

For assistance with other aspects of retirement planning, you may want to follow the Baby Boomer blog at http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/

Lessons to Teach your Grandkids

What do you do with your grandkids when you get to spend time with them?  Do you cuddle up and read a book together?  Do you take them fishing?  Do you teach them how to bake?

However you spend these precious moments, you are teaching them some valuable skills.  These are also wonderful opportunities to pass on your values. 

If you're a grandparent, you might enjoy this little article about how you can make the most of the time you spend with your grandkids.

New Dates for Medicare Enrollment Changes

One of things I have learned is how fast things seem to change.  This is true in all aspects of our lives, including Medicare rules and regulations.  That is why I want everyone to know about an important new change happening this year that could catch many retirees off-guard if they don't hear about it.

The open enrollment period for making changes to your Medicare plan has changed.  In 2011 the open enrollment period ends on December 7, instead of December 31, when it ended in the past.  This article on my blog gives more details, but I am trying to get the word out to as many people as possible without requiring them to go to my blog to read the most important fact ... that you no longer have until the end of the year to make your changes!  If you suspect that someone may not be aware of this, pass this information on.

Preventing Alzheimers

One of the biggest fears that many people have is the worry about what will happen if they begin to develop dementia or Alzheimers.  This fear is something to be taken seriously, because many of us Baby Boomers have a good chance of losing at least some of our cognitive ability as we age.

The website RealAge.com has come up with several suggestions that they bellieve will help most people either postpone or even prevent Alzheimers.  It is well worth reading if you want to maintain your maximum mental function for as long as possible!

Finding the Best Places to Retire

One of the decisions that Baby Boomers are facing is where to live as they prepare to retire.  Do you want to live in Southern California or Florida?  Or, are you interested in living somewhere with low housing prices and a low crime rate?

CNN recently came up with a list of places within the United States that have a low cost of living, good medical care, and lower than average crime rates.

This article summarizes the information provided by CNN, so you can decide if any of these locations appeal to you.  Do your research thoroughly.  You could easily live another 20 to 30 years after you retire!

Time to Join AARP

When a friend told us that we should join AARP, now that we were senior citizens, we were horrified!  We couldn't possibly be old enough to join the American Association of Retired People!  After all, we both still worked.

However, we are happy that we made the decision to go ahead and join.  This organization constantly makes us aware of many of the things we will need to know in order to retire some day.  We also get great discounts when we flash our membership card.

Learn more about the many reasons why baby boomers should join!

Baby Boomer Retirement: How to Build an Annuity Ladder

Baby Boomers are reaching the age of 65 at the rate of about 10,000 a day.  Many of them are not prepared to live on their meager Social Security benefits.  In addition, during the past few years, the Baby Boomer generation has lost billions of dollars in the value of their homes, 401k's, and their overall retirement savings. 

To make matters worse, if they do have some money that they can use to purchase an annuity, the rate of return is at an all-time low.  Most Baby Boomers are reluctant to put all their remaining assets into an annuity at these low rates; they hope the returns will be higher in a few years.  See this blog post on "How to Build an Annuity Ladder" to find out one approach to keeping most of your savings intact, while increasing your income at the same time.

Baby Boomer Retirement: Recreation in Retirement Communities

Choosing a community with the types of recreational activities we wanted was a major part of the decision making process we went through as we selected the senior community where we now live.

As you look at this picture of me, in the red fleece, horseback riding through a field of wild mustard and Marguerites, you can see that I am very satisfied with the decision we made. The equestrian center is just one of the numerous amenities available in our community.

My husband loves the two golf courses and five swimming pools that Laguna Woods Village, in Calfornia, has to offer.

However, other people will have different wants and needs. This blog post will help guide you as you think about what types of senior recreational activities will meet your needs the best.

How to Qualify to Move into a Retirement Community

Over-55 communities have their own rules and requirements, which need to be carefully followed if you plan to live in one. In fact, the age restrictions placed on residents of these senior communities is the only type of housing discrimination allowed under federal law.

The primary restriction, of course, is that one of the individuals in the home must be over the age of 55. However, there are other restrictions that you need to know about, as well. Learn more about planning your retirement, finding a place to live, working in retirement, and more in the Baby-Boomer-Retirement.blogspot.com blog.